Illuminating attachments for vaginal speculum

ABSTRACT

A modified Graves Vaginal Speculum is provided having cooperating upper and lower blades pivoted with respect to one another, the upper blade having a longitudinal slot in the upper blade at the rear portion thereof, a removable light carrier member frictionally engaging the upper blade at the slot and curving rearwardly to engage a light source, said source and arm directing a light beam intermediate the two blades in their expanded position.

United States Patent [191 Whitman [111 3,789,835 [451 Feb. 5, 1974 ILLUMINATING ATTACHMENTS FOR VAGINAL SPECULUM [76] Inventor: Robert S. Whitman, 6407 Beacon St., Pittsburgh, Pa. 15217 [22] Filed: Mar. 16, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 235,333

[52] US. Cl. 128/18, 128/6 [51] Int. Cl. A6lb 1/30, A6lb H06 [58] Field of Search 128/17, l8, l3, 6, 23

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,231,702 7/1917 Cameron 128/13 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 566,999 7 11/1923 France 128/18 OTHER PUBLICATIONS A Comprehensive Guide To Purchasing-V. Mueller &

Co. Catalog, page 697.

Curvlite Medical Division Catalog-Page 3, 6-1939- 128-23.

Primary Examiner-Lucie l-I. Laudenslager Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Buell, Blenko & Ziesenheim [57] ABSTRACT A modified Graves Vaginal Speculum is provided having cooperating upper and lower blades pivoted with respect to one another, the upper blade having a longitudinal slot in the upper blade at the rear portion thereof, a removable light carrier member frictionally engaging the upper blade at the slot and curving rearwardly to engage a light source, said source and arm directing a light beam intermediate the two blades in their expanded position.

7 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEU 51974 3.789.835

sum 1 vor 2 PATENTED FEB 5 4 SHEET 2 OF 2 ILLUMINATING ATTACHMENTS FOR VAGINAL SPECULUM This invention relates to illuminating means for vaginal speculum and particularly to a removable illuminating means for use with the well-known Graves Vaginal Speculum.

The problem of internal illumination of the vaginal cavity through a speculum has been one that has faced the medical profession for many years.

Many kinds of optical apparatus have been proposed for use by the physicans in the past for inspection and examination of the interior of different body cavities. For example, there have been devices provided for examination of the ears, the rectal cavity, the bladder and urinary tract and the like as well as the vaginal cavity. However, these devices have not been generally used by the medical profession for vaginal examination and are in fact not readily adapted to use for examination of the vaginal cavity using the vaginal speculum. The devices which have been proposed for the purpose of vaginal examination have been unsatisfactory for a variety of reasons. In many cases they obstruct the vision of the deep internal parts of the vaginal cavity and thus obliterate the very areas that they are intended to illuminate. Other devices which have been proposed do not satisfactorily illuminate the deep interior of the cavity and in almost all cases the device which has been proposed-requires sterilization with the speculum or is designed to come into contact with the body cavity so that it must be sterilized with each use. This is a most unsatisfactory system, particularly where the light source itself must be sterilized.

The present invention is directed to an illuminating means including an adapter which is adapted to be used with the well-known and almost universally used Graves Vaginal Speculum or its equivalent. The adapter is designed to be attached to the vaginal speculum and to receive a removable light source so that the device itself is very simple. The adapter can be attached in such fashion that it does not contact the vaginal cavity and it can be readily sterilized, hot or cold, without serious damage to its structure. These considerations are all very important and make the structure of this invention uniquely satisfactory for this purpose.

Typical of the devices which have been proposed in the past are those illustrated in Gunning et al. US. Pat. Nos. 3,324,850; Strauch 3,075,516 and Wappler 1,913,780. These devices are subject to the defects which have been pointed out above and they have not met with acceptance in the medical profession.

I preferably provide a Graves Vaginal Speculum comprising cooperating upper and lower blades, a handle adjustable on the lower blade, a pivot on said handle carrying the upper blade a longitudinal slot in the upper blade at the rear portion, a removable light carrier member comprising a curved arm or blade portion having friction engaging means at one end adapted to engage the slot in the upper member of the speculum, clip means at the opposite end of the light carrier member adapted to engage and hold a light source and a light source in said clip. The light carrier member may include a fibre optics element into which the end of the light source projects and which element follows the blade of the light carrier member. The light carrier member may be made of stainless steel or any other suitable metal or it may be made of a suitable plastic having sufficient strength and resilience to engage the speculum and the light source. The light source is preferably a pen light engaged in the frictionv clamp of the light carrier member.

In the foregoing description I have set out certain objects, purposes and advantages of my invention. Other objects, purposes and advantages will be apparent from a consideration of the following description and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side isometric view of a Graves Speculum and illuminating means according to this invention;

FIG. 2 is a top isometric view of the speculum of FIG. 1 broken apart;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of a second embodiment of the friction clamp structure of this invention;

FIG. 4 is a section on the line lVlV of FIG. 3; FIG. 5 is an end elevational view of the clamp of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of still a third embodiment of the clamp and lighting structure according to this invention;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the clamp and light source on the line VII-VII of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is an end elevational view of the clamp and light source of FIG. 6.

Referring to the drawings I have illustrated a speculum according to this invention. The instrument consists of a standard Graves Speculum having a handle 10 connected to a lower blade 11, an upper blade 12 is pivotally attached to a riser mechanism 13 which is slidable in a track 14 in the handle. The riser mecha nism is selectively positioned by means of a'slot 15 in the riser mechanism which engages around a pin 16 carrying a threaded friction nut 17 on handle 10. The upper blade of the speculum is provided with a control bar 18 and thumb screw 19 by means of which the physician can cause the remote ends of the two blades to separate within the vaginal cavity as the blades are pivoted with respect to one another at the handle. A light carrier member 21 having a curved arm portion 22 is provided with a friction member at one end which engages within the slot 24 which is standard in the rear end of the upper blade of every Graves Speculum. The friction member is preferably formed of an upstanding web 25 on the end 22' of the arm portion with a thin flat plate 26 on the opposite side of the web whereby the arm portion 22' engages the top surface of the upper blade while the plate 26 engages the bottom surface of the upper blade on each side of slot 24. A cylindrical clip 30 is formed on the other end of the arm 22 removably receiving a pen light 31. The curvature of arm 22 is such that the pen light is focused into the vaginal cavity when the two blades are opened within the cavity. The view of the examining physician is thus not obstructed, yet the cavity is fully illuminated.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3-5 the structure features which are identical to those of FIG. I bear like numbers with the suffix a. The only difference in structure is in the use of a resilient tang 40 in place of the plate 26.

Finally the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 6-8 is I also substantially the same as that of FIG. 1 in most light. The element 50 is bent and flattened along the body of the arm 22b to a fan shape and being formed at the opposite end 52 with the fibres parallel to each other and in a direction aimed at a point intermediate the opened blades of the speculum.

In the foregoing specification I have set out certain preferred embodiments of my invention, however, it will be understood that this invention may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A modified Graves Vaginal Speculum comprising cooperating upper and lower blades, a riser means adjustable on the lower blade, a pivot on said riser means pivotally carrying the upper blade, a longitudinal slot in the upper blade at the rear portion thereof, a removable light carrier member frictionally engaging said upper blade in said slot and forming a substantially smooth surface therewith, said light carrier member having a curved rearwardly extending arm, means on said carrier element for removably engaging a light source, a light source removably held in said means for engaging a light source outside the vaginal cavity, said light source and curved arm directing a light beam intermediate the two blades in their expanded position.

2. A speculum as claimed in claim 1 wherein the removable light carrier member frictionally engages the speculum between the arm and a spaced plate on the arm and held by a web adapted to fit within the speculum slot.

3. A speculum as claimed in claim 2 wherein the arm carries a fibre optics element which has a cylindrical end adjacent the light source and a wide flattened end at the remote end of the arm, said flattened end being fan shaped with the terminal ends of the fibres in parallel relationship.

4. A speculum as claimed in claim 1 wherein the light carrier element is of stainless steel.

5. A speculum as claimed in claim 1 wherein the arm is provided with spaced plates at one end connected by a web whereby the upper blade is frictionally engaged between the plates on opposite sides of the slot.

6. A speculum as claimed in claim 1 wherein the arm is made of plastic.

7. A modified Graves Speculum as claimed in claim 1 wherein the carrier element includes a top plate member substantially covering the slot in said speculum. 

1. A modified Graves Vaginal Speculum comprising cooperating upper and lower blades, a riser means adjustable on the lower blade, a pivot on said riser means pivotally carrying the upper blade, a longitudinal slot in the upper blade at the rear portion thereof, a removable light carrier member frictionally engaging said upper blade in said slot and forming a substantially smooth surface therewith, said light carrier member having a curved rearwardly extending arm, means on said carrier element for removably engaging a light source, a light source removably held in said means for engaging a light source outside the vaginal cavity, said light source and curved arm directing a light beam intermediate the two blades in their expanded position.
 2. A speculum as claimed in claim 1 wherein the removable light carrier member frictionally engages the speculum between the arm and a spaced plate on the arm and held by a web adapted to fit within the speculum slot.
 3. A speculum as claimed in claim 2 wherein the arm carries a fibre optics element which has a cylindrical end adjacent the light source and a wide flattened end at the remote end of the arm, said flattened end being fan shaped with the terminal ends of the fibres in parallel relationship.
 4. A speculum as claimed in claim 1 wherein the light carrier element is of stainless steel.
 5. A speculum as claimed in claim 1 wherein the arm is provided with spaced plates at one end connected by a web whereby the upper blade is frictionally engaged between the plates on opposite sides of the slot.
 6. A speculum as claimed in claim 1 wherein the arm is made of plastic.
 7. A modified Graves Speculum as claimed in claim 1 wherein the carrier element includes a top plate member substantially covering the slot in said speculum. 